Means for operating car-fenders.



R. J. KELLETT. MEANS FOR OPERATING GAR FENDERS.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 10, 1908.

898,582. Patented Sept. 15,1908.

[MICE] W INVENTOR,

ATTORNEY.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT J. KELLETT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

MEANS FOR OPERATING CAR-FENDERS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. KELLETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Means for Operating Car-Fenders, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for quickly raising and lowering a car fender by the use of compressed air.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side view of the front portion of a car equipped with my invention; Fig. 2 is a front view of the same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View of the operating cylinder; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a modified form of connection between the operating shaft and one of the Valves of the compressed air cylinder; Fig. 6 is a side View of a modified form of support for the fender; Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are enlarged horizontal sections on the lines 7-7, 8S, 99, and 1010 respectively showing the relative positions of the valve passages.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a street car to which is pivoted, as shown at 2, the fender 3. To said car is also pivoted an arm 4 to which is pivotally connected a hanger 5 secured to the fender. To the front end of said arm is jointed the end of a piston rod 6, which passes through the floor 7 of the car, and into the compressed air cylinder 8 and carries therein the upper and lower pistons 9, 9. Into the end of the cylinder lead compressed air pipes 10, 10, controlled by valves 11, 11, and connected with a common pipe 12 and from said ends lead exhaust pipes 13, 13, controlled by valves 14, 14.. Adjacent to said cylinder is a vertical operating shaft 15, rotated in suitable bearings 16 secured to the cylinder, and having mounted on its upper end a crank handle 17 with which the shaft can be turned by the motorman. Suitable stops 18, 18, are arranged upon the top of the cylinder to limit the movement of the lever. Secured to said shaft are arms 19, 19 connected by links 20 with arms 21 connected to the respective valve stems. These valves are so arranged, as shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 thatwhen, the u per compressed air valve 11 is opened, the fower exhaust valve 1 1 is likewise o ened, and the upper exhaust valve 14 and tl fe lower compressed air Valve 11 are closed,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 10, 1908.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

Serial No. 415,030.

and conversely. It results from this, that by a single shift of the crank handle compressed air is admitted to one end of the cylinder and shut off from the other, and the latter end only is connected with exhaust. By this means a very quick action of the compressed air can be obtained, to let down the fender quickly to prevent fatal or serious injury to a person on the track ahead.

In themodification shown in Fig. 5, the shaft carries, for each valve, a segment gear 24 which meshes with a segment gear 25 carried by the valve stem.

Owing to the somewhat violent oscillations which may occur at the extreme end of a street car, and also the fact that the fender when lowered moves along the rails of the track, being generally provided with rollers for that purpose, it would result that, if the connection between the fender and piston rod were inextensible, the air in the upper end of the cylinder would be liable to undergo great impression. For this. reason, a safety valve 26 is preferably provided in the upper end of the cylinder. However, as shown at 27 in the modification shown in Fig. 6, the connection between the fender and the operating arm may be resilient, in which case the safety valve is not needed.

I am aware that it is common to simultaneously admit ressure fluid to one end of the cylinder an exhaust it from another end, and to reverse the operation for the other end of the cylinder, and I do not claim such construction broadly. My invention is limited to the specific construction and arrangement whereby compressed air can be conveniently and rapidly used for the lowering of a fender in a street car.

I claim:

1. In means for operating street car fenders, the combination, with the fender, of a fluid pressure cylinder, a piston therein, a piston rod therefor, operatively connected with the fender, an inlet and an exhaust pi e for each end of the cylinder, four valves f r the respective pipes, a vertical shaft adjacent to the cylinder, a handle turning said shaft, and operative connections between said shaft and valves, whereby all four valves may be simultaneously operated, to open the inlet valve at one end and the outlet valve at the other end, and to close the other inlet and outlet valves, substantially as described.

2. In means for operating street car fenders, the combination, with the fender, of a fluid pressure cylinder, a piston therein, a pistongrod therefor, operatively connected with the fender, an inlet and an exhaust pi e for each end of the cylinder, four valves f r the respective pipes, a vertical shaft adjacent to the cylinder, a handle turning said shaft, an arm carried by each valve stem, an arm for each valve carried'by said shaft and a link connecting the arm on the shaft with the arm on the corresponding valve, substantially as described.

3. In means for operating street car fenders, the combination, with the fender, of a fluid pressure cylinder, a piston therein, a piston rod therefor, operatively connected with the fender, an inlet and an exhaust pipe for each end of the cylinder, four valves for the respective pipes, a vertical shaft adjacent to the cylinder, a handle turning said shaft, operative connections between said shaft and valves, whereby all four valves may be simultaneously operated, to open the inlet valve at one end and the outlet valve at the other end, and to close the other inlet and outlet valves, and a safety valve in the upper end of the fluid ressure cylinder, substantially as describes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT J. KELLETT. Vitnesses:

FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, D. B. RICHARDS. 

